HOUSTON: Alcohol kills 2.8 million people every year globally, causing cancer, heart disease and road accidents and even by worsening tuberculosis, researchers have said. They found no evidence that light drinking might help keep people healthy and said there is no evidence that drinking any alcohol at all improves health.

Even the occasional drink is harmful to health, according to the largest and most detailed research carried out on the effects of alcohol, which suggests governments should think of advising people to abstain completely.

The uncompromising message comes from the authors of the Global Burden of Diseases study, a rolling project based at the University of Washington, in Seattle, which produces the most comprehensive data on the causes of illness and death in the world.

This World Beer Day Learn How To Tell Your Lager From An Ale Like A Pro

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Beer Talk

3 Aug, 2018

Beer can be called the drink for all seasons, and reasons. Whether you're chilling at a sports bar with friends or out for a brunch, the many varieties of beer make it possible to pair the drink with any food.
From lagers to India Pale Ale (IPAs), beer lists continue to grow on menus.
Beer can be broadly classified as an ale or a lager; then depending on their flavours and styles they can be India Pale Ales (IPA), pilsners, porters, stouts, and wheat and Belgian beers, among others.
While the major difference between various beers is the yeast and the temperature they are fermented at, here's a list to help you show-off your beer knowledge the next time you head out.

Lager

3 Aug, 2018

The beer for beginners, lagers are brewed at low temperatures, using the bottom-fermenting strains of yeast. This yeast has a lower tolerance to alcohol, making many lagers light and crisp (though that doesn’t hold true for all of them and don’t be surprised to spot a dark, rich lager).
Talking about the growing trend of lager consumption in India, Mahesh Kanchan, Vice President- Marketing, Carlsberg India, said, “Lagers are synonymous with a refined and distinctly satisfying taste.
"Known for their deep, full-flavoured malty notes, lagers have seen great appreciation from the Indian consumer base."

Ale

3 Aug, 2018

Brewed with top fermenting yeast at warmer temperatures, ales are usually full-bodied with a hoppy finish. Top-fermenting yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) has greater tolerance to alcohol, and hence produces stronger (higher alcohol content) beers.
Ales tend to be darker, have a cloudier appearance, and a stronger, more robust flavour.

Pilsner

3 Aug, 2018

Perfect for a hot summer day, pilsners are light and refreshing. This beer originated in the town of Plzen in the Czech Republic. Pale lagers were flavoured with a stronger hop called the Saaz hop, resulting in the hoppy Pilsner. Most of them tend to have around 5-6% ABV.

Wheat Beer

3 Aug, 2018

Wheat beer, as the name suggests, is made up of at least 50 per cent wheat. The wheat content is much higher than in other beers that primarily contain barley or rye.
While most wheat beers are pale and cloudy, they are also light and refreshing.
Some varieties are Hefeweizen (a Bavarian beer with banana, bubblegum, and clove notes), Dunkelweizen (a darker hefeweizen with a more roasted malt), Weizenbock (a stronger hefeweizen with more fruit and malt flavours), Witbier (a Belgian style wheat beer), Berliner Weisse (a northern Bavarian light and sour beer), and American Wheat (the American version of a German wheat beer).

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Alcohol, says their report published in the Lancet medical journal, led to 2.8 million deaths in 2016. It was the leading risk factor for premature mortality and disability in the 15 to 49 age group, accounting for 20 per cent of deaths.

"Although the health risks associated with alcohol start off being small with one drink a day, they then rise rapidly as people drink more," Max Griswold of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, who led the study team, said in a statement.

"Previous studies have found a protective effect of alcohol on some conditions, but we found that the combined health risks associated with alcohol increase with any amount of alcohol," he said.
Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than three drinks in one sitting temporarily increases your blood pressure, but repeated binge drinking can lead to long-term increases. If you have high blood pressure, avoid alcohol or drink alcohol only in moderation.The large international team, which included hundreds of researchers, examined data from more than 1,000 studies.

There is some evidence that alcohol may reduce the risk of heart disease very slightly, but that effect is more than outweighed by the other damage it causes.

Alcohol use comes in seventh as an overall cause of death, said the team, whose work was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

But it was the leading risk factor for early death in 2016 for people aged 15 to 49, they found. Alcohol use caused death by injury, by self-harm and by worsening tuberculosis in this group, the team found.

For older people, cancer is the most common fatal health consequence of drinking. That fits in with a separate study released yesterday, which found that men who drank an average of seven drinks a day as teenagers had three times the risk of developing prostate cancer later in life.

It is probably because alcohol damages developing cells, said the senior editor of the study, Emma Allott, who teaches nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

"The prostate is an organ that grows rapidly during puberty, so it's potentially more susceptible to carcinogenic exposure during the adolescent years," Allott said in a statement.

"We also found a positive association between higher cumulative lifetime alcohol intake and high-grade prostate cancer diagnosis," the team wrote in their report, published in Cancer Prevention Research.

Better Skin, More Savings and Other Surprising Benefits Of Saying No To Smoking

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Kick The Butt

11 Jun, 2018

Usually, the urge to smoke lasts only for a few minutes. Every time you feel the need to take a puff, drink lots of water to diminish the urge.
One of the main reasons behind the urge to smoke is due to stress. So, keep stress at bay by practicing yoga and involving yourself in therapeutic activities such as dancing, gardening, and playing your favourite sport.
Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do to yourself. Giving up smoking can reduce the risk of developing cancer and various other diseases. However, Pooja Duggal, CEO of HealthHunt, shares five other benefits of saying no to smoking.

Improved Senses

11 Jun, 2018

Smoking can dull your sense of taste and smell. However, the damage is reversible. A few days after quitting, your food will taste and smell better. With time, your sense of taste will restore to normal, and you will be able to enjoy your meals to the fullest.

Better Energy Levels

11 Jun, 2018

Once you quit smoking, the oxygen level goes up in your body. Oxygen boosts energy which further helps in physical activities. Ditching that pack of cigarettes might help you get those six pack abs.

Better, Younger Skin

11 Jun, 2018

Smoking can lead to premature signs of ageing like fine lines, sagging skin, wrinkles and uneven tone. By saying no to smoking, you can achieve a flawless and younger looking skin.

Extra Savings

11 Jun, 2018

Cigarettes have become more expensive than ever after GST of 28% on tobacco. If you smoke one cigarette per day at Rs 15, you end up spending Rs 450 per month. For people who smoke more than one cigarette, the value keeps increasing. For a month, if you put the money you spend on cigarettes and smoking materials in a piggy bank, you will be surprised to see how much you have been able to collect.

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